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It’s expected to be a packed house as Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats roll into town Sunday to face the Saskatoon Blades.
With thousands of people expected to flock to SaskTel Centre for the 4 o’clock start, preparations are being laid out ahead of time to make sure fans get in and out safely, and on time.
The Blades already have said they expect to set a single-game attendance record for the franchise when Bedard visits. As of Friday morning, only a handful of the roughly 15,000 tickets were left for the game.
“It’s phenomenal,” Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner said on the Green Zone on Wednesday. “These crowds he’s bringing in all over the league have been unprecedented. (It’s) something we’ve never seen before and something we probably won’t see again for a long long time.
“I think we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t only acknowledge but thank Connor for everything he’s done for the Western Hockey League.”
While Bedard is getting the credit for packing SaskTel Centre, the Blades have iced one of their best teams in recent years, which Priestner says has translated into more interest.
The hockey club has 95 points and is on the verge of its fifth 100-point season with four regular-season games remaining.
“We’re up 30 per cent without the Bedard games, ” said Priestner.
“I think our fans have been certainly keen to watch us and very appreciative of the kind of team that plays hard every single night and is putting up wins all year long. It’s a great chance for us to show 15,000 people (some) great junior hockey to watch Bedard, but to watch our guys and really get excited for this playoff run.”
SaskTel Centre is recommending people carpool as parking spaces will be limited. Those arriving with Club Seat and Rock Star parking passes must enter the lot using Bill Hunter Avenue.
If people don’t want to take their own car, there are a number of options to get to the rink as well. Saskatoon Transit will have five buses departing from 23rd Street and Second Avenue starting at 2:25 p.m., and will leave every 20 minutes.
Regular fares will apply. SaskTel Centre and the Blades are also offering a free park-and-ride service for the game.
Yellow school buses will be located at Lawson Heights Mall, Confederation Mall and The Centre Mall and are to depart at 2:15 p.m., with continuous service until the last bus at 3:40 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to get to the rink early.
“We’re going to have $6 beers from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and try and get people in a little bit early and hopefully not have that huge rush after 4 p.m.,” said Priestner.
Digital tickets should be downloaded to a person’s phone before they get to the gate.
Doors open for the public at 2:30 p.m. Puck drop is 4:00 p.m.
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Steve Seto